Electric stop motion for spinning machines



Nov. 12, 1929. G. M. ARRAGG ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR SPINNING IACHINESFil d N v- 1927 s Sheets-Sheet v INVENTOR. w f BY M ATTORNEY ELECTRICSTOP. MOTION FOR SPINNING IACHINES FiledNov- 1927 5 sheets-shed 2INVENTOR;

Nov. 12, 1929. ARRAGG 1,735,102

ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR SPINNING MACHINES Filed No 1927 a Sheets-Sheet5 Patented Nov. 12, 1929 PATENT OFFICE GEORGE M. ABRAGG, OF LAWRENCE,MASQACHUSETTS ELECTRIC STOP MOTION FOR SPINNING MACHINES Applicationfiled November 9, 1927. Serial No. 232,150.

This invention relates to stop motions for spinning frames. It isespecially applicable to cap spinning frames which are generally used inspinning worsted yarn, but it may be used on other types.

Such spinning frames frequently include from one hundred to two hundredspindles each carrying a bobbin to which roving is delivered by means ofa system of rolls.

It is the purpose of this device whenever there is a break in the rovingfor any particular bobbin, to stop one of the back delivery rolls forthat particular bobbin, and to break and stop the roving for one bobbinonly, with out stopping delivery to any of the other bobbins. In thisway, there is very little loss of production and the winding up of wasteroving on the rolls and double spinning, which means the floating of abroken end over to an adjoining bobbin thereby causing defective yarn,is prevented.

To secure great production in a comparatively small space, the spindlescarrying the bobbins on such spinning frames are positioned closetogether and usually are located back to back, half on the hack and halfon the front of the frame. In the modern frame there are one hundred infront and one hundred at the back.

I am aware that various types of mechanical stop motions have beeninvented but these generally are relatively bulky and expensive.

This device is an electric stop motion and comprises a-feeler preferablyof the rocking kind which engages the roving between the front deliveryroll and the bobbin and is thereby held out of its normal position, suchfeeler being included in an electric circuit which also includes a fixedcontact through which when the roving breaks the feeler completes thecircuit. When this circuit is completed an electro-magnet is energizedand this operates trigger or catch mechanism which normally holds aspring pressed lifter out of engagement with the frictionally drivenspring pressed top back roll between which and the bottom back roll theroving must pass to the front delivery rolls and thence to the bobbin.

I also preferably include a circuit breaker to again open the circuit,operated by the lifter, so that current is not wasted, and also a makeand break switch, interposed in the conductors, operable by the handshipper so that when the whole frame is stopped the feelers cannotcomplete the circuit and the roving is not broken.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing part of acapspinning frame with my device in position.

Fig. 2 is a side sectional elevation of the feeler and feeler box.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the rocking feeler alone.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation, part1 broken away, of my lifter plate andcatc release mechanism.

Fig. 5 is a plan view of Fig. 4, parts being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a side sectional elevation of a sliding feeler.

Fig. 7 is a plan view of Fig. 6 with the box cover removed, but shown asattached to a fly board.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a-modified form of feeler.

Fig. 9 is a side sectional elevation of another type of lifter andaccompanying parts.

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of another type of litter and accompanyingparts.

Fig. 11 is a digram of the wiring of one spindle.

Fig. 12 is a digram showing a preferred form of wiring for manyspindles.

Fig. 13 is a detail showing a complete wire system in place of grounds.

Fig. 14 is a diagram of a simplified wiring for one spindle.

Fig. 15 is a detail of my preferred type of catch release mechanism.

Fig. 16 is a detail showing a simplified type of catch releasemechanism.

In the drawings, A represents a cap spinning frame having the positivelydriven front delivery rolls 10 and 11 which deliver roving to thebobbins such as 12 and back delivery rolls 13 and 14, of which thebottom one 14 is positively driven and the to one 13 is frictionallydriven thereby, eing pressed thereon by a compression spring 150. 16 isa hand shipper for starting and stopping the frame, or rather forstarting and stopping the rolls andother moving parts.

It represents the roving which is unwound from the spools 17 by the pullof the back rolls 13 and 14. It thence passes between the very lightfrictionally driven top carrier rolls 18 and bottom carrier rolls 19,the latter of which are positively driven and preferably from back tofront at successively slightly higher speeds and then between the frontdelivery rolls 10 and 11, which preferably travel at a substantiallyhigher rate of speed than the back rolls, thereby drawing out the rovingin a well known manner.

I prefer to have a single top back roll 13 and a plurality of topcarrier rolls such as 18 for each spindle.

B is a metal arm which takes the place of the fly board and is hinged at20 to a bar 21 which extends along the front or back of the frame. Thereis such an arm for each bobbin 12 and each carries an eye or pig-tail 22which is positioned directly over the axis of the bobbin and causes theroving R to bend at an angle as it comes from the front rolls 10, 11 tothe bobbin.

As usually constructed, the back rolls and the traversing mechanism 4are carried on brackets 2 supported by sloping racks such as 1 and canbe moved forward and back thereon by means of gears 3 carried on a shaftsuch as 5 which extends the whole or half the width of the machine.Thereby the distance between the front and back rolls can be altered ina well known manner.

To protect the parts from flyings and dust I prefer to provide a feelerbox which is open at the top but includes four sides and the bottom 23all lined with insulation 24. A removable cover 25 is also lined withinsulation. Extending up through the bottom thereof is the fixed feeler26 properly insulated from the other parts and being connected with theinsulated wire 27' forming part of the electric circuit to be described.

C is a metallic rocking feeler pivoted in the box at 30, as shown havingthe cuts 31,

31, whereby it fits down into a depression 32, being held in position bythe box cover 25.

Its exposed or front end 34 is preferably cut away at 35 to keep theroving from running over the side, and its inside end 36 is in suchposition that as the inside part is heavier than the outside part itwill normally drop down forming a sliding contact with fixed contact 26.This rocking feeler being in contact with the metallic box and its cover25, which in turn are grounded to the metal part of the frame as shownat 38, is also in the same electric circuit spoken of above.

The feeler tip 34 is in such position with reference to its pivot 30that the roving will hold it down and therefore its other end 36 upthereby keeping the circuit normally broken.

F represents a battery which is a source of electric current and fromthisextend the conducting wires 40 and 41 which pass through thetransformer 42 and from thence extend as 43 and 44. 43 extends through acontact 45 which engages the make and break knife switch 46 operable bythe shipper 16 so that they engage whenever the belt fork 140 is causedto transfer the belt from the loose pulley 141 to the tight pulley 142.The other end of this make and break switch may be connected to the wireshown at 27 in the diagram.

The lifter H shown as pivoted and in position when it risesto pinch theroving between its padded end 50 and the top back roll 13, is pivoted at51 to a part of the frame 52 and carries pivotally the hook 53 whichextends downward in position to engage a catch 54, both forming part ofthe electrically operated trigger mechanism.

The lifter spring 55 tends to force the lifter H upward against the topback roll 13 and is more powerful than the compression spring 150 whichtends to press the top roll 13 against the bottom roll 14.

The back rolls of cap spinning frames ordinarily are carried in pairs bysuitable yokes but in this machine I find it desirable to provide foreach top back roll such as 13 its own particular yoke 151 having at theend of each leg a bearing groove 152 into which fits the journal 154 foreach roll 13.

Each yoke 151 is slidable through suitable bearings in a fixed rail 156carried by the frame, and has a cross bar 157 against which spring 150bears, the pressure being adjusted by a nut 158 on a spindle 159.

Catch 54 which holds hook 53 and lifter H down is normally held inposition by spring 254 and pivoted latches 255 and armature 250 ofelectroniagnet G to be hereafter described in detail.

Electromagnet G has one pole 89 connected to the wire 44 and the otherpole 87 connected to the circuit breaker J also to be hereafterdescribed.

When magnet G is energized by closing the circuit through feeler C, itattracts its armature 250 which releases catch 54 to such an extent thatthe pressure of spring 55 on hook 53 releases the book from catch 54allowing lifter spring 55 to raise the lifter H whereby its padded edge50 raises the back roll 13 and also pinches the roving R, causing it tobreak at about the point indicated by X in Fig. 1.

What is left is not carried along by the carrier rolls and through thefront rolls because their grip is not strong enough.

To reset the mechanism, I use a resetting device indicated by P whichincludes a handle 80, pivoted at 81 to the frame, which bears against anear or projection 82 on lifter H in such manner that when the handle isderessed, it forces the lifter plate down away rom the to roll.

Hook 53 1s so hung and formed that it reengages catch 54 and so thetrigger mechanism is reset.

Carried by ear 82 is a curved arm'182 in such position that when thelifter is set, its end 83 engages a plate 84 attached to the post 87 ofmagnet G and insulated therefrom by insulation 86 as shown in Figs. 4and 5.

As lifter H and the other parts form part of the frame they are therebyincluded in the circuit which is made or broken by the end 83 in contactwith 84 while any particular plate is depressed, but when lifter H islifted as it is when the trigger mechanism is released, 83 separatesfrom 84 thus breaking the circuit indicated in the diagram between 44and 38.

Handle 80 is shown as being normally lifted by the tension spring 88.

Spring 88 may be omitted however and the handle used as a signal thatits particular top roll has been stopped.

When the rovin breaks between the front rolls and the bobbln, thefeelercloses the circuit and the magnet releases the catch or trigger on theholding hook of the lifter and this lifter rises against the roving andthe top back roll lifting the latter and stopping it and the roving. Asthe carrier rolls and the front rolls continue to revolve the pull ofthe front rolls breaks the roving directly in front of the carrier rollswhich continue to revolve but do not have enough grip on the rovingeither to break it again or to pull it away from the grip of the lifterplate on the top back roll.

When the operator wishes to iece the end, he resets the triggermechanism y the handle P and holds it until the back rolls again beginfeeding. When this occurs, the carrier rolls carry this end alongbetween the front rolls which grip it and deliver it to a point where itcan be and is seized by the operator and brought down against the feelerthus breaking the circuit, thence into and through the eye such as 22which directs it to the bobbin 12. As soon as the feeler C breaks thecircuit, the handle P can be released and the ends pieced without dangerof rebreaking.

When the frame is stopped for any reason by the shipper, the circuit isagain broken by the make and break switch 46, so that there is no dangerof the feelers working because the delivery of the roving has stopped.

There are numerous modifications of my device, some of which I will nowexplain.

In Fig. 8, I show a feeler which takes the Elace of the fiy board.Fastened to a cross ar of the frame is the springy feeler 61, having aneye 62 at its free end, in position just above a sto bar 63. Eye 62 isin front of a direct line etween the bite of the front rolls 10 and 11and the top of bobbin 12, and is therefore held down in the full lineposition instead ofin the dotted line position, while the roving R iswhole. Feeler 61 is grounded on the frame and there is a fixed contact64 insulated at 65 which connects with the wire 27. A plurality whichmay be the whole or half on one side of a frame of these contacts 64 areattached to a turning rod 66 by which the can be moved over and back sothat even if eeler 61 rises no contact will be made. This device cantake the place of the make and break switch attached to theshipperalthough the latter is preferable.

y In Figs. 6 and 7; I show a sliding feeler which comprises a fixedcontact 71 insulated at from eye support B or T and connecting with wire27 and also a sliding feeler 73.

In Fig. 6, I show box 77 attached to a metal support B but in Fig. 7 toa wooden fly board T.

Sliding feeler 73 is a strip of sheet metal having its back end 72turned down so as to engage 71 and being slidable back and forth towardsand from the roving R at a point a little above eye 22. Spring 75 inslot'7 9 tends to force the concaved or cut out end 74 towards theroving and when the roving breaks, it moves the feeler forward so that72 engages 71, and as box 77 with its cover 76 are grounded as by a wire78, the circuit is closed.

As shown in Fig. 9, instead of a rocking lifter, I can use a slidinglifter indicated by 171. This is slidable at a slant behind the bar 170forming part of the frame, lifter 171 having a slot 172 and beingfastened to 170 by means of a headed screw 173. At the top it has alifting nose174 and at the bottom an elastic hook 175 in position toengage catch 252 operated by an electromagnet as before described.

Instead of a lifting spring, I show a lifting arm 17 8 having a shortmember 176 the tip of which engages lifter 170, the arm being pivoted at177 and having a long arm 178 at the end of which is a weight W. Thetendency of weight W is to drop and thus lift short member 176 andlifter 171 when the catch 252 releases hook 175. For resetting, weight Wand arm 178 are lifted instead of being pulled down.

In Fig. 10, I show the handle P integral with the lifter H so thatspring 88 is dispensed with, and I also show the holding hook 353 asmade of spring metal so that it will hook under catch 54 positivelyrather than by gravity.

In place of the circuit breaking device J, I show the box holding theelectromagnets G insulated at 188 from the frame 52 and I show one ofits poles 87 connected'to the box by a wire 187, the otherpole not shownbeing insulated and connected to the wire 44 i as in the otherconstructions.

As the parts P, H and 353 are not insulated from the frame, the currentgrounds i it 1,735,102

through them and through 54 and 187 to the the circuit opened by feelerC while in the middle it is closed as when the roving breaks, and at theright it is again broken by the release of the circuit breaker mechanismJ.

Fig. 13 shows how I can use a complete wire system, the connecting wire138 taking the place of the grounded frame 38.

Fig. 14 is another diagram in which the shifter make and break isomitted and also the circuit breaker J ,the wires 43 running directlyfrom battery F to feeler C. from whence wire 143 runs to the magnet G,the other wire 44 running directly back to bat tery F.

In Fig. 15 I show a detail of my preferred type of trigger or hook orcatch release mechanism such as shown in Figs. 4 and 5.

250 represents the armature and 54 the catch having nose 252 and pivotedon a rod 257 and also provided with pins 251, its supports beingindicated by 258.

The latches 255 are pivoted to the casing of the magnet box at 259 andhave tails extending back proximate armature 250, and also recesses 260which receive pins 251 when locked but which allow these pins 251 toslip out and down when the armature 250 releases them. This constructionis well known and is very satisfactory.

As shown in Fig. 16 however, I can use a magnet 90 with posts 91, 92having an armature 93 pivoted at 94 and having a nose 96 to hold hook 53normally held in engagement therewith by spring 95. 7 When the magnet isenergized nose 96 releases hook 53.

I claim:

1. The combination with a spinning frame having front delivery rolls,bobbins, and back delivery rolls the bottom one of which is posi tivelydriven and the top one of which is spring pressed thereon and is driventhereby; and a shipper for starting and stopping said rolls and bobbins;of a fixed contact carried by the frame and insulated therefrom; arocking feeler having one end adapted to normaliy be in contact withsaid fixed contact and its other end interposed in the course of theroving from the front rolls to the bobbin and adapted to be kept by suchroving out of contact with the fixed contact; a source of electriccurrent; conductors therefrom to the fixed contact and to the feeler; amagnet interposed in said conductors; a lifter for the top back rollincluding a lifter spring adapted to cause the lifter to engage the backtop roll at the back and to lift it away from the bottom back roll and aholding hook; a catch adapted to engage the holding hook and to keep thespring and lifter out of action, said catch being operable by the magnetwhereby when the circuit is closed, the catch is disengaged from thehook and the spring and lifter are released; and means interposed in theconductors operable by the lifter to open the circuit when the back rollis lifted; together with a make and break switch interposed in saidconductors and so operable with the shipper that it breaks the circuitwhen the shipper is moved to stop the rolls and bobbins.

2. The combination with a spinning frame having front delivery rolls,bobbins, and back delivery rolls the bottom one of which is positivelydriven and the top one of which is spring pressed thereon and is driventhereby; of a fixed contact carried by the frame and insulatedtherefrom; a-rocking feeler having one end adapted to normally be incontact with said fixed contact and its other end interposed in thecourse of the roving from the front rolls to the bobbin and adapted tobe kept by such roving out of contact with the fixed contact; a sourceof electric current;

conductors therefrom to the fixed contact and to the feeler; a magnetinterposed in said conductors; a lifter for the'top back roll includinga lifter spring adapted to cause the lifter to engage the back top rollat the back and to lift it away from the bottom back roll and a holdinghook; a catch adapted to engage the holding hook and to keep the springand lifter out of action, said catch being operable by the magnetwhereby when the circuit is closed, the catch is disengaged from thehook and the spring and lifter are released; and means interposed in theconductors operable by the lifter to open the circuit when the back rollis lifted.

3. The combination with a spinning frame having a frame, front deliveryrolls and bobbins and a frictionally driven back delivery roll; a fixedcontact on the frame; of rocking feelers pivoted to said frame andinsulated therefrom, each feeler having one end in position to normallycross the path of the roving from the front delivery rolls to a bobbinand the other end being so positioned as to engage said fixed contactwhen the front end is not in contact with the roving; a source ofelectric current; conductors between each fixed contact and said sourceof electric current; other conductors between such source and eachfeeler; a lifter for the back delivery roll; a spring therefor; triggermechanism adapted to hold the spring under tension and the lifter out ofcontact with the back top delivery roll; an electromagnet positioned inthe conductors between the source of electric current and the feeleradapted to release said trigger mechanism when the electric circuit isclosed; and circuit breaking devices operative by the lifter to open thecircuit when the back roll is lifted.

4. The combination with a spinning frame having front delivery rolls,bobbins, and back delivery rolls the bottom one of which is positivelydriven and the top one of which is spring pressed thereon and is driventhereby; of a fixed contact carried by the frame and insulatedtherefrom; a rocking feeler having one end adapted to normally be incontact with said fixed contact and its other end interposed in thecourse of the roving from the front rolls to the bobbin and adapted tobe kept by such roving out of contact with the fixed contact; a sourceof electric current; conductors therefrom to the fixed contact and tothe feeler; a magnet interposed in said conductors; a lifter for the topback roll inolud ing a lifter spring adapted to ca use the lifter toengage the back top roll at the back and to lift it away from the bottomback roll and a holding hook; a catch adapted to engage the holding hookand to keep the spring and lifter out of action, said catch beingoperable by the magnet whereby when the circuit is closed, the catch isdisengaged from the hook and the spring and lifter are released.

5. The combination with a inning frame having front delivery rolls, bobins, and back delivery rolls the bottom one of which is positivelydriven and the top one of which is spring pressed thereon and is driventhereby; of a fixed contact; a rocking feeler having one end adapted tonormally be in contact with said fixed contact and its other endinterposed in the course of the roving from the front rolls to thebobbin and adapted to be kept by such roving out of contact with thefixed contact; a source of electric current; conductors therefrom to thefixed contact and to the feeler; a magnet interposed in said conductors;a lifter for the top back roll including means adapted to cause thelifter to engage the back top roll at the back and to lift it away fromthe bottom book roll, and lifter holding means; a catch adapted toengage the lifter holding means and to keep the spring and lifter out ofaction, said catch being operable by the magnet whereby when the circuitis closed, the catch is disenga ed from the lifter holdin means and theli ter is allowed to rise and lift the top back roll.

GEORGE M. ARRA GG-

